EPR Analysis and DFT Computations of a Series of Polynitroxides

Polynitroxides with varying numbers of nitroxide groups (one to four) derived from different aromatic core structures show intramolecular electron spin–spin coupling. The scope of this study is to establish an easy methodology for extracting structural, dynamical, and thermodynamical information from the EPR spectra of these polynitroxides which might find use as spin probes in complex systems, such as biological and host/guest systems, and as polarizing agents in dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) applications. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level provided information on the structural details such as bond lengths and angles in the gas phase, which were compared with the single crystal X-ray diffraction data in the solid state. Polarizable continuum model (PCM) calculations were performed to account for solvent influences. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of the polynitroxides in chloroform were analyzed in detail to extract information such as the percentages of different conformers, hyperfine coupling constants <i>a</i>, and rotational correlation times τ_c. The temperature dependence on the line shape of the EPR spectra gave thermodynamic parameters Δ<i>H</i> and Δ<i>S</i> for the conformational transitions. These parameters were found to depend on the number and relative positions of the nitroxide and other polar groups

Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Signal Enhancement with High-Affinity Biradical Tags

Dynamic nuclear polarization is an emerging technique for sensitizing solid-state NMR experiments by transferring polarization from electrons to nuclei. Stable biradicals, the polarization source for the cross effect mechanism, are typically codissolved at millimolar concentrations with proteins of interest. Here we describe the high-affinity biradical tag TMP-T, created by covalently linking trimethoprim, a nanomolar affinity ligand of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), to the biradical polarizing agent TOTAPOL. With TMP-T bound to DHFR, large enhancements of the protein spectrum are observed, comparable to when TOTAPOL is codissolved with the protein. In contrast to TOTAPOL, the tight binding TMP-T can be added stoichiometrically at radical concentrations orders of magnitude lower than in previously described preparations. Benefits of the reduced radical concentration include reduced spectral bleaching, reduced chemical perturbation of the sample, and the ability to selectively enhance signals for the protein of interest

Experimental Mixture Design as a Tool for the Synthesis of Antimicrobial Selective Molecularly Imprinted Monodisperse Microbeads

The effect of the cross-linker on the shape and size of molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) beads prepared by precipitation polymerization has been evaluated using a chemometric approach. Molecularly imprinted microspheres for the selective recognition of fluoroquinolone antimicrobials were prepared in a one-step precipitation polymerization procedure using enrofloxacin (ENR) as the template molecule, methacrylic acid as functional monomer, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate as hydrophilic comonomer, and acetonitrile as the porogen. The type and amount of cross-linker, namely ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, divinylbenzene or trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, to obtain monodispersed MIP spherical beads in the micrometer range was optimized using a simplex lattice design. Particle size and morphology were assessed by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and nitrogen adsorption measurements. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in conjunction with a nitroxide as spin probe revealed information about the microviscosity and polarity of the binding sites in imprinted and nonimprinted polymer beads

“Brush-First” Method for the Parallel Synthesis of Photocleavable, Nitroxide-Labeled Poly(ethylene glycol) Star Polymers

We describe the parallel, one-pot synthesis of core-photocleavable, poly­(norbornene)-<i>co</i>-poly­(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brush-arm star polymers (BASPs) via a route that combines the “graft-through” and “arm-first” methodologies for brush polymer and star polymer synthesis, respectively. In this method, ring-opening metathesis polymerization of a norbornene–PEG macromonomer generates small living brush initiators. Transfer of various amounts of this brush initiator to vials containing a photocleavable bis-norbornene cross-linker yielded a series of water-soluble BASPs with low polydispersities and molecular weights that increased geometrically as a function of the amount of bis-norbornene added. The BASP cores were cleaved upon exposure to UV light; the extent of photo-disassembly depended on the amount of cross-linker. EPR spectroscopy of nitroxide-labeled BASPs was used to probe differences between the BASP core and surface environments. We expect that BASPs will find applications as easy-to-synthesize, stimuli-responsive core–shell nanostructures

EPR Study of Spin Labeled Brush Polymers in Organic Solvents

Spin-labeled polylactide brush polymers were synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), and nitroxide radicals were incorporated at three different locations of brush polymers: the end and the middle of the backbone, and the end of the side chains (periphery). Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to quantitatively probe the macromolecular structure of brush polymers in dilute solutions. The peripheral spin-labels showed significantly higher mobility than the backbone labels, and in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), the backbone end labels were shown to be more mobile than the middle labels. Reduction of the nitroxide labels by a polymeric reductant revealed location-dependent reactivity of the nitroxide labels: peripheral nitroxides were much more reactive than the backbone nitroxides. In contrast, almost no difference was observed when a small molecule reductant was used. These results reveal that the dense side chains of brush polymers significantly reduce the interaction of the backbone region with external macromolecules, but allow free diffusion of small molecules

Using EPR To Compare PEG-<i>branch</i>-nitroxide “Bivalent-Brush Polymers” and Traditional PEG Bottle–Brush Polymers: Branching Makes a Difference

Attachment of poly­(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to polymeric nanostructures is a general strategy for sterically shielding and imparting water solubility to hydrophobic payloads. In this report, we describe direct graft-through polymerization of branched, multifunctional macromonomers that possess a PEG domain and a hydrophobic nitroxide domain. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to characterize microenvironments within these novel nanostructures. Comparisons were made to nitroxide-labeled, traditional bottle-brush random and block copolymers. Our results demonstrate that bivalent bottle-brush polymers have greater microstructural homogeneity compared to random copolymers of similar composition. Furthermore, we found that compared to a traditional brush polymer, the branched-brush, “pseudo-alternating” microstructure provided more rotational freedom to core-bound nitroxides, and greater steric shielding from external reagents. The results will impact further development of multivalent bottle-brush materials as nanoscaffolds for biological applications

Scalable Synthesis of Multivalent Macromonomers for ROMP

The polymerization of functional monomers provides direct access to functional polymers without need for postpolymerization modification; however, monomer synthesis can become a bottleneck of this approach. New methods that enable rapid installation of functionality into monomers for living polymerization are valuable. Here, we report the three-step convergent synthesis (two-step longest linear sequence) of a divalent <i>exo</i>-norbornene imide capable of efficient coupling with various nucleophiles and azides to produce diversely functionalized branched macromonomers optimized for ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). In addition, we describe an efficient iterative procedure for the synthesis of tri- and tetra-valent branched macromonomers. We demonstrate the use of these branched macromonomers for the synthesis of Janus bottlebrush block copolymers as well as for the generation of bottlebrush polymers with up to three conjugated small molecules per repeat unit. This work significantly expands the scalability and diversity of nanostructured macromolecules accessible via ROMP